


Avatar: The Journey of Azisa

by ineffablebureaucracy



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Divergent, F/M, I haven't seen LoK so, I was also upset with the ending in a few ways, avatar sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25143379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineffablebureaucracy/pseuds/ineffablebureaucracy
Summary: There was once an old saying, that every time someone was born into the Royal Family, a coin was tossed. On one side, there was greatness, and on the other, was madness. So far, this theory seemed to have held up. General Iroh, the Dragon of the West, as he was called, had become great, while his brother, the Fire Lord Ozai, was mad. Again, this was seen in Ozai’s children- Zuko and Azula. Zuko, who became Fire Lord after his father was removed from the throne, became a truly great leader alongside his wife, Katara, while his sister Azula descended into madness.But now, the world held its breath as it waited on a new coin to land, that of Fire Lord Zuko’s daughter, Azisa. As his only heir, and the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, he had kept her close to home. Azisa grew up in the heart of the Fire Nation, the Capital City, close to all those in her family who lived there. Her coin was beginning to land, so to speak, and it was teetering, dancing back and forth between the greatness of her great uncle, and her father, and the madness of her grandfather and aunt. And the world watched, and the world waited.
Relationships: Katara & Original Female Character(s), Katara/Zuko, Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s), Ozai & Original Female Character(s), Zuko & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter One

**BOOK 1: FIRE**

_You cannot use someone else’s fire._

_You can only use your own._

_And in order to do that,_

_you must first be willing to believe you have it._

-Audre Lorde

**CHAPTER ONE**

Zuko couldn’t seem to stop pacing. “I don’t know what to do, Uncle,” he confessed, and his Uncle Iroh hummed in acknowledgement of this as he sipped his tea.

“Pearls do not lie on the seashore,” Iroh finally said. “If you want one, you must dive for it.” Zuko just looked at him confusedly. In all his years of life, hearing these sorts of things from his uncle, they never made any more sense to him. Sensing his nephew’s confusion, Iroh elaborated. “The solution is not something that will be easily found,” he added. “You have to search for what is troubling you about Azisa, perhaps by speaking with Katara, perhaps by speaking with your daughter, herself. Whatever you do, it will not be easy to raise her to be the best Fire Lord she can be. It will take work, Zuko.”

Zuko sighed, crossing his arms as he looked out the window. “I know it will,” he conceded. “And it has, but I’m afraid that it’ll all be for nothing. All my predecessors have been hopelessly focused on war, and if not for you, I would have been too. What if I just turned out to be… a fluke? What if no wheel’s been broken at all, and I’ve only been providing a reprieve?”

“You must teach your daughter to value life, and the world she lives in, just as you learned while we travelled through the Earth Kingdom,” Iroh answered. “She can continue your legacy, if you give her the tools with which to continue to build.” Something seemed to click for Zuko then, and he turned to Iroh with a grin.

“She needs to spend more time with you!” he said decisively. “You were able to work with me, help me see things the right way; you can work with her!”

Iroh grimaced. Clearly, that hadn’t been the point he’d been trying to make. “No, Zuko, she is your daughter. It is you she needs- you and Katara.” When Zuko sighed and looked back out the window, Iroh sat his tea down and stood to walk to his nephew. “Life is an echo,” he told him. “What you send out comes back.” Zuko almost scoffed.

“I never understand these sayings of yours,” he said. “You know that. Or when I do, I don’t get it in the way you want me to. So what’s your point?”

“You have to put into Azisa what she needs to put out,” Iroh explained. “Instill in her the lessons I instilled in you, and one day she will pass them on. That is how the wisdom of past generations is carried on to the next.” This only earned another sigh from Zuko.

“I’ve never been exactly good at that sort of thing,” he confessed. “Ask Aang, it took me a while to learn how to teach him firebending, and that was something I knew. How do I teach my daughter things I’m not good at when I could barely teach something I was?”

“Just talk to her. You’ll know what to say.” Iroh went and picked up his tea- which he had finished, as it turned out- before leaving his nephew to think over what they’d discussed.

It wasn’t a new conversation. Zuko couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there were things his daughter would say that would unnerve him and his wife, things that almost sounded like something his father or sister would have said. In fact, sometimes Azisa sounded so much like Ozai that he began to wonder if the man had somehow escaped from his prison and had been visiting her, or if Azula had been seeing her niece without Zuko’s or Katara’s knowledge.

These were the things that got him up early in the morning, before the sun had risen. Katara would wake and ask him what was bothering him, but he didn’t think she would ever truly understand. Hakoda was a good man, as was Sokka. He’d seen the signs in Azula he now saw in Azisa, but not to the same degree just yet. There was still some time to help Azisa, just as there had been time to help him.

And that was the thing which had sent him to his Uncle for advice- that, and the fact that the man always seemed to know what to say, even if it was infuriatingly difficult to understand. If anyone would know how to help a young firebender not follow in the footsteps of the previous Fire Lords, it would be Iroh. Zuko knew Iroh was right about everything, that he needed to sit down and tell Katara all his concerns, and talk to Azisa as opposed to talking to everyone else about her, if he wanted to help her, but he’d never been exactly good at that. Then again, it wasn’t like he’d ever found himself particularly good at talking to anyone for any reason.

Movement just outside the palace doors caught his eye, and Zuko frowned, peering out the window for a better glance at the source of the movement- someone was leaving, cloaked in such a way as to inspire anonymity. Whoever this was didn’t want to be seen leaving the palace, though his guess as to why was as good as anyone’s. On a hunch, he left his office, and walked to Azisa’s room silently, before cracking the door open just as silently and peeking inside. There was a lump just the same size as his daughter right where he’d hoped to find her, and he let out a soft sigh of relief. She hadn’t been the one leaving, then, and if she was asleep, then whoever was leaving hadn’t been with her. Hopefully, it was just a member of the palace staff, going out into the town for the day. Probably, they weren’t even trying to remain anonymous. It was just Zuko’s years of fighting the war that had caused that initial response. Surely, everything was fine.

Zuko went back to bed.

He tried his best not to wake Katara, but it seemed it was an unavoidable thing, as she began to stir. Zuko stilled immediately, grimacing a bit as he realized he’d not been as subtle as he’d hoped to be.

“Mm, Zu?” she mumbled, and her eyes fluttered open. Knowing now that she was fully awake, Zuko sighed and laid down the rest of the way.

“Go on back to sleep,” he whispered, brushing her hair back. “I’m fine.”

“You were stressed again, weren’t you?” she questioned. Katara looked up at her husband with a sad expression, which earned a soft sigh from him.

“I just had to check on her,” he replied, and it wasn’t untrue. He’d ended up having to check on Azisa, even if that hadn’t been the reason he got up in the first place.

“And was she sleeping still, just as I could have told you she’d be?” Katara asked. She was smiling knowingly, and Zuko knew she already knew the answer.

“She was,” he confirmed, and Katara’s eyes closed again as she snuggled back down into the bed, getting comfortable to go back to sleep. “You would have been right.” Her lips quirked up a bit in an amused sort of way.

“As long as you can admit it,” she teased, and he chuckled softly. “Get some more sleep, Zuko. It’s still early. You’re not supposed to rise until the sun’s up.” This earned another chuckle from him.

“Okay, you’ve made your point,” he said. “I came back to sleep, let me sleep.” Katara chuckled and shook her head a little, but soon fell silent and still again as she returned to sleep, and Zuko followed shortly after.


	2. Chapter Two

Unfortunately, Zuko hadn’t looked close enough when he went to check on Azisa. The lump that was just about her size was actually an array of blankets and pillows, stuffed up under her blanket to _look_ like her. Azisa was not, in fact, any longer in the palace- it had been her he’d seen leaving just a few minutes ago.

She made her way through the Capital City silently, not wanting anyone to see her, to know where she was going, and she did so well. Before long, she found the old path to the prisons. It was a walk she took often, and truthfully, daily. Visiting Ozai was something that hadn’t come about as any form of plan. It had started as her serving in the prisons, carrying meals to the prisoners and things of that kind, and realizing who he was. When she found out he was her grandfather, she started taking more time to sit with him, to try and get to know him, but it wasn’t the easiest thing in the world.

Ozai had never exactly been a ‘family man’, so to speak. He’d only been involved with his children to the extent that was required of him, and typically, it was understood that that had ended up being a _good_ thing for them. Azula had been the closest to him, and turned out the most like him, whereas Zuko had- mercifully- turned out more like their mother, Ursa. But he’d spent three years of his life exiled from the Fire Nation, far away from Ozai and with his Uncle Iroh, who spent those three years trying to instill a true understanding of right and wrong in the young prince. It was that very same understanding that Zuko had worked so hard to instill in Azisa, and that Ozai was trying to undo in her.

When the door to his cell opened, Ozai smirked a bit. She was right on time, as she always was. If nothing else, he appreciated that his son was raising a very _punctual_ princess. As Azisa stepped more into the light, Ozai stood and walked over to the bars that kept him from freedom. She was smiling, as she always was. He found that a very intriguing trait of hers.

“Grandfather,” she said sweetly. It was strange, in Ozai’s opinion, that she seemed to hold genuine _affection_ for him. Apparently, he’d done something right when talking to her.

“Good morning, Azisa,” he replied. The young woman seemed to light up more when he said that, and sat down as she usually did, clearly encouraging him to do the same. “How was your day yesterday?”

"Excellent!” Azisa answered excitedly. This launched her into a quick summary of how she’d spent the day before, and it gave Ozai a quick summary of the state of the Fire Nation- at least, the state of it through Azisa’s eyes. He’d realized rather quickly that she took it upon herself to handle quite a few of the important things, and often he heard her talk about how Zuko would try to take the hard things from her shoulders. This sounded like something his son would do, in his opinion.

Well, his ‘son’. Ozai didn’t truly consider Zuko his _son_ , not after everything that boy had done, every way he had betrayed the Fire Nation. He had gone back on _everything_ the Fire Lords over the last 100 years had worked for, and _strived_ for, in the name of keeping peace between the Fire Nation and the other nations that were left. The Fire Nation should be _ruling_ those nations, not doing what they wanted in order to keep the peace. War was a better alternative to that.

“Production within the Fire Nation has increased,” she continued. “We seem to be doing just fine without the support of the colonies. Dad was right.”

Ozai had to stop himself from practically snarling at the mention of Zuko, but he wasn’t going to show that distaste for him to his granddaughter. The girl adored her father; she wouldn’t take too well to much criticism of him. Instead, he managed to counter the outlook she had expressed.

“That may be so,” he commented, “but life _is_ harder for them now. The colonies were good for the citizens of the Fire Nation. The more they did, the better the people here had it. And your priority as Fire Lord one day will be to look after your people first.”

Azisa nodded a little as she took in her grandfather’s advice. This was part of what she found so refreshing and intriguing about talking to him- he had been Fire Lord once, and now that her father was Fire Lord, Ozai had the time to think over the policies and decisions he had made. In Azisa’s eyes, this made him the perfect person to talk to about these sorts of things. As much as she adored and looked up to her father, he was too immersed still in ruling the Fire Nation to step back and reflect on his decisions. He couldn’t yet see the flames for the embers.

But Ozai was removed from the position now, and he could reflect on everything that had occurred during his reign. Of course Azisa knew about the 100-year war, but that war had been handed down to Ozai by his father, and his father before him. She wasn’t surprised that he’d never thought to end it. He believed he was doing the right thing for his people, and that was enough for her.

“Well… I admit that I’m not entirely sure how one should proceed with this,” she confessed, looking up to her grandfather. “On the one hand, the war is over, and the nations are returning to peace without us occupying them. But at the same time… I should strive to do what’s best for my people, shouldn’t I? If they’re my priority…”

"I know you’ll figure it out, my dear,” he said, and she smiled. Somehow, he always made her feel better about these sorts of stressful decisions. Not that she would have to make them any time soon, but it helped to know she could talk to him when the time came, that he would help her make her decision, and then he would stand behind her, whatever she decided.

What Azisa didn’t know, however, was that Ozai was grooming her. Azula had been his perfect heir, and she’d been set to take the throne before his unruly son had stepped in. But now, his granddaughter had turned up and practically fallen right at his feet! This was the opportunity he had been waiting for, and he knew that Zuko had no heir other than her. If Ozai brought her to his way of thinking… Well, the Fire Nation would be right back on track, wouldn’t it? Thus far, he’d gotten quite good at giving her ideas, and letting her think she had come up with them on her own. Then, all that was left to do was support her in them, and she was eating out of his hand. The perfect scheme, and soon, she would be the perfect heir.

"I’m glad you have such faith in me,” she said honestly, smiling up at Ozai. “I’m… not entirely sure I have that same faith in myself just yet.”

“No?” Ozai questioned, frowning a little as he watched his granddaughter. “And why not? Surely you’re told often by your parents that they’re proud of you…”

And thus, he began the work of fulfilling the long game. The past few years, he had been instilling little things that she would let slip, things that would foster disappointment in her parents toward her. If she was so easily believing what he said, parroting him to them, then how could they be _proud_ of their daughter? Would they lie and say they were? If so, she would believe more strongly that he was right, and internalize his lessons even more. If they didn’t, then she would be shaken, and turn to him for that boost of confidence. Either way, it would make him her primary emotional connection, and from what he’d heard from the Princess, it was _working_.

“Not… particularly,” she confessed, biting her lip and dropping her eyes. Her mood darkened a considerable amount. “We disagree on some things, and I think it worries them. It’s not that I doubt they’re proud of me, I’m sure they are, but sometimes it feels like we fight more than we don’t.” Ozai gave a thoughtful hum as he listened to Azisa. “The only thing I know they’re proud of is my progress with my bending.” His lips turned up a bit into a smile, as if he too, was proud of her.

“Why don’t you show me some of what you’ve been working on?” he suggested. Azisa lit up and nodded, standing and backing up toward the wall. She didn’t want to run out of room.

The Princess ran started to run through the quite advanced forms she and her father had been working lately, and Ozai smirked.

_Yes, the perfect heir indeed._


	3. Chapter Three

By the time Azisa was sneaking back into the palace, making her way back to her room so she could be there before any of the staff came to wake her, and no one would realise she’d ever been gone, Katara and Zuko had gotten up, and were getting ready to go about their day. 

Perceptive as she was, Katara could tell Zuko was nowhere near settled, regardless of having come back to bed the night before. Whatever had been bothering him then, had been bothering him for a while now, was still bothering him. When he sat down to start brushing his hair as he did every morning, Katara walked over behind him and took the brush, starting to work on the knots that seemed to appear every night.

“Alright, what’s bothering you?” she asked him, and he seemed to relax a little as she worked on his hair. “Something’s been wrong for a while now, what is it?” 

Zuko sighed, wanting to talk to Katara about the stress of what he’d noticed about Azisa, and he was sure she’d have noticed by now as well how much their daughter seemed to sound like his father at times. But at the same time, he didn’t want to worry her too much with the fact that he’d noticed it too. If only one of them had noticed, then perhaps the situation wasn’t as bad as they each thought. 

But they had both noticed, and he knew his uncle had been right. Even if he was wrong, and Katara hadn’t realized anything, he needed to talk to her. Azisa was their daughter, after all. 

“It’s Azisa,” he began, and she hummed thoughtfully, nodding. “There are things she says sometimes, I’m sure you’ve heard them, and she sounds so much like my father. That’s why I had to check on her this morning. I got to thinking too much about it, and I got worried that somehow, she was seeing him, or maybe Azula… But she was alone. And I knew she would be, but I still can’t shake the feeling that they’re getting to her somehow, or that one of them is.” 

Katara nodded, listening to her husband’s concerns as he spoke them. “I have heard her talking like him some,” she agreed, and sighed. “It seems like little things, but it runs deeper, doesn’t it?” Zuko nodded, and she chuckled affectionately, holding his head straighter so she could start to put his hair up in the top knot he wore. 

“That’s what concerns me. We can’t afford to fall back into the old ways once I’m not Fire Lord anymore. That cycle of war and destruction has to stay broken, or it won’t really _be_ broken. There’s just been… a break. I don’t want to just be a reprieve, I want to help there be change, but if she doesn’t carry the change on…”

“We need to figure out where these ideas are coming from, first,” she said. “You said you were concerned that somehow your father or sister have gotten to her?” Zuko nodded, but before he could start to talk about how they could have gotten to her, Katara began to reiterate why they couldn’t have. “Zuko, your father is in prison. You’d have heard if he escaped, wouldn’t you have?” 

“Yes,” he admitted, and Katara smiled a little. 

“And your sister hasn’t been seen since the Agni Kai. The chances of her even knowing that Azisa exists are incredibly low,” she pointed out. “I don’t think we need to worry about Azula.” 

“Why wouldn’t she know?” Zuko asked, looking up at Katara in the mirror. “You nearly died having Azisa. It was the talk of the Nation, how we almost lost our Fire Lady.” She put her hand on his shoulder. Zuko hated thinking about how hard the pregnancy and birth had been on Katara, how both she and Azisa had nearly not made it, and he felt better just feeling Katara’s hand there. He reached up and took her hand, squeezing it gently before bringing it around to kiss the back of her hand. She smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. 

“Then maybe she does know,” Katara suggested. “But I don’t think she’s travelled from wherever she is to come try and change your daughter’s opinions on everything.” 

“You don’t know what Azula would do,” Zuko countered. “I grew up with her. She’s relentless when she wants something. If she wanted to ensure I was a one-off... She would get to Azisa the moment she could.” 

Katara sighed a little. “Unless we put guards at every entrance to Azisa’s chambers, and the palace, how could we possibly know if she’s coming in and talking to her?” 

There was a long pause, and Zuko finally replied, “We ask Azisa.” 

Katara looked down at her husband, and leaned over to kiss his head. “Okay,” she agreed. 

“Even if she’s not seeing Azula, we need to know where this is coming from,” Zuko said. 

Katara added, “Especially if she’s not seeing Azula.” 

As much as neither of them wanted to admit it, Azula sneaking in to see their daughter was the better of all the options. If it was Azula, they would know easily how to combat that. But if it wasn’t... If it was truly something coming from Azisa herself, that would be a much harder thing to work against. It was one thing to challenge ideals she was merely repeating, that on some level seemed understandable to her, but challenging the ideals she held herself, that would be a far harder thing to do. 

There was silence between the two as Katara put Zuko’s crown in his top knot, and she put both her hands on his shoulders, looking at her husband in the mirror. They sat that way for a few moments, Fire Lord and Fire Lady, spending a quiet moment together before they inevitably went into the chaos of ruling the Fire Nation and raising its future Fire Lord. 

Eventually, Zuko broke his silence. “Do we want to talk to her at breakfast?” he questioned. 

Katara sighed as she walked to pick up her crown, sliding it into her hair and turning back to Zuko. The movement had bought her a few more minutes to consider, before she nodded. 

“We need to address it sooner rather than later,” she answered him. “If we do it now... We’ll have a full day more to consider what to do based off what we learn.” 

“Good point,” he said, and Katara smiled. She leaned down to press an affectionate kiss to his cheek, before heading toward the door. But Zuko stopped her and pulled her back to him, holding her close. “I love you,” he said softly. 

Katara smiled adoringly at Zuko, and cupped his cheek. “I love you too,” she replied just as gently. He leaned down to kiss her, and she smiled.


End file.
